Wie's performance this time around much more impressive One of the problems of the "gotcha" journalism practiced so prevalently these days is the narrow time frame within which it operates. Everything is judged in the now and not through the long view of history. This rush to judgment leads to the ridiculous labeling of both individuals and teams as "the best ever" or "the worst collapse ever" or any other absolute which, in the grand scheme of things, is absolutely absurd. In that context, it would be very easy to say that Michelle Wie took a step backward this year when she missed the cut at the Sony Open by seven strokes after failing to qualify for the weekend by a single shot last year. Quite the opposite is the case. In some very significant ways Wie's performance against the men this year was much more impressive than her effort last year. While winning is the purpose, success is sometimes more accurately measured in the process. Last year, when 14-year-old Michelle shot 72-68 and missed the cut by one stroke, she sort of snuck up on everyone. No one really knew what to expect and if she had gone out and posted two rounds in the 80s no one would have thought twice about it. She was, after all, a kid and a girl trying to compete against adult men on a PGA Tour course. This year she entered the Sony with much more pressure on her. Her effort last year - as well as a top-five finish in an LPGA major championship - had set the bar for this year enormously high. And Wie, showing her competitive fire, added fuel to the fire of expectation by saying her goal was to finish in the top-20. What we should be focusing on is not so much that she instead finished T-128 after shooting 75-74, but the way in which she handled an extremely demanding and disappointing week. The fact is that Wie's 75 in the opening round could have been an 80. The wind was blowing 20 miles per hour and she lost control of her game during a shaky five-hole stretch in the middle of the round. But the point is that after making five consecutive 5s, Wie righted the ship and played even-par golf the last six holes and saved a round that could have been embarrassing. It is easy to handle the enormity of the moment when you are playing well. It is a sign of greatness when you can maintain your composure when the engine is not hitting on all cylinders. That is exactly the grit Wie displayed at Waialae Country Club. Despite what had to be an agonizing performance for her, Michelle never stopped grinding. There is reason for pride not so much in the 149 strokes she used but in all the shots she saved. Last year, when Wie was making her run at making the cut, she knocked in putts from every corner of Hawaii. This year, she missed more than her share inside 10 feet, including a three-putt from eight feet in the second round that led to a triple bogey that ended any chance she had of making the cut. Her other big-number hole - a double bogey on her eighth hole of the first round - also resulted from a three-putt when she was trying to save par after a poor tee shot. Both of these holes were likely learning experiences for Wie. In fact, you can almost guarantee it. She is much too smart not to walk away from her effort at the Sony with a lot more information filed away in the experience bank. While there is a lot to be learned from winning, some of the most important lessons we get come from losing. This was not an easy two days for Michelle. She came in under the added burden of expectation, battled some serious wind and let a couple of holes get away from her. But she never stopped trying. For anyone, that is impressive. For a 15 year old, it is astounding. Any great player knows that the most important evaluation of a tournament performance is not to focus on what went wrong but to approach the analysis with what went right - and then to figure out what could have been better. There were many positives for Wie in her Sony performance this year. In the first round, she played the first six holes even par and the last six holes even par. It was the middle six - which she played five over par - that got away from her. While it took her too long to right the ship, she did stop the bleeding with a couple of amazing bunker shots that saved par. Of that she should be proud. And in the second round, after Michelle made that double bogey, she should take pride in the fact that she then played the next 12 holes one over par, despite knowing she needed to make birdies to make the cut. The fact is that in both cases - after the five straight 5s on Thursday and after the triple bogey on Friday - she was able to get back on track and posted highly respectable scores. There are a lot of players - and I am talking about experienced PGA Tour veterans here - who would have quit on a round after making a triple or reeling off five straight 5s. That Wie continued to grind and never gave up is highly admirable. The list of positives for Wie in her Sony performance is longer than the list of negatives. While she used too many putts - 62 in two rounds - her short game has improved significantly. The bunker play, especially, was brilliant. One of those up-and-down sand shots was from 40 yards, one of the most difficult plays in the game. Wie also has added a knockdown shot to her arsenal, which should be a reminder to all of us that as good as she is, there is still room - and time - for significant improvement. This is a work in progress -- possibly a masterpiece. But the real positive Wie should take away from her Sony effort is the way she hung in there. While there is a lot to be learned from winning, some of the most important lessons we get come from losing. This was not an easy two days for Michelle. She came in under the added burden of expectation, battled some serious wind and let a couple of holes get away from her. But she never stopped trying. For anyone, that is impressive. For a 15 year old, it is astounding. Wie may have missed the cut by more strokes this year than she did last year but she may also have gained some toughness that will pay off mightily down the road. Sometimes a setback can be a great leap forward disguised in the disappointment of heartbreak. Well done, Wiesy. This week's pick for the Buick Invitational: Charles Howell III. Prediction Toteboard Events 1st 2nd 3rd Top-10 MC $ Won 2 0 0 0 1 0 $170,920 Ron Sirak is the Executive Editor of Golf World magazine